Religious Leaders Arrested at Capitol

This has caused quite a stir on Capitol Hill and brings up many good questions..

SHOULD THESE RELIGIOUS LEADERS BE HERE DOING THIS?

SHOULD THEY VOICE THEIR OPINION ON POLITICAL MATTERS?

SHOULD THEY MAKE AN ACT OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE TO VOICE THEIR OPINION?

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A RELIGIOUS LEADER IN THE POLITICAL ARENA?

HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS:

The Protestors(from the Huffpost):

Jim Winkler, General Secretary of the General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church; the Rev. Jennifer Butler, Executive

Director of Faith in Public Life; the Rev. Paul Sherry, Director of the Washington Office of Interfaith Worker Justice; the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson,

Director of Public Witness in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); Sandy Sorenson, Director of Washington Office of the United Church of Christ; Martin Shupack, Director of Advocacy of Church World Service; Jordan Blevins, Director of

Peace Witness Ministries of the Church of the Brethren; and

the Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, President of CommonCause.Rabbi Arthur Waskow, of the Shalom Center in Philadelphia.

There is something refreshing about all of this. First, it reminds me of past case when a religious leader lead thousands if not a million or so to march on Washington to protest social injustice, and an issue that needed changed.

This although not as such an obvious issue, it is a pressing one, mostly because of time. The idea of what is a 'Just and compassionate budget' can be debated, but it was moving to see religious leaders from almost every faith standing together, standing on one issue. It makes me wonder-WHAT IS THE CONSERVATIVE legislative body thinking!? If these religious leaders came to protest the very people that traditionally they would have voted to put in office-WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE!?

A close friend of mine,(who I might add I respect a great deal) (and also happens to be well versed on matters of religion) Pointed out his concern that perhaps these religious leaders were overstepping their bounds, and entering in entering the political realm.. This is a valid concern. I will be the first to lobby for the proper separation of church and state, but I don't believe that should stop religious leaders and people of faith from speaking out. Perhaps the fact that they did it in such a radical manner was what they were called to do, which accomplished a dialogue on many blogs, and headlines...Publicity stunt?-perhaps.. I guess we should talk leadership-rather we should talk about House leadership..-

I won't get started on John Boehner, his conduct, or his political ideas, but I feel like he's been cornered into a game of politics because he believes that's what he's suppose to do. HIS constituents haven't elected him to "take on the President", like he claims..Its sad that he believes this is his role, and it's sad that the game of politics is the tune in our nations current debt crisis.